


Chess to End the World

by BritishParty



Series: An Unexpected Chess Match [1]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: doodleburr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 21:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2667854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BritishParty/pseuds/BritishParty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ridge proposes a chess game, but it turns out he's gathered quite the collection of pawns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chess to End the World

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by doodleburr's art of a chess match between Kirin and Ridge!

"A game of chess?"  
The smile didn't fade as the eyes turned cold. "Yes. I've even made special pieces, if you agree."  
Wide, white teeth were flashed briefly, lips twitching up. "You seem rather confident."  
"You're too curious for your own good."  
KirinDave laughed humorlessly. "I suppose I am." The look in his eyes was a warning Ridgedog ignored, choosing instead to run his thumb over the carefully crafted onyx pawn he'd set down between them.  
"Are you sure you'd like to play against me?"  
The question clearly caught Ridge off guard, making amber eyes narrow in surprise and curiosity.  
"No," he said cautiously. "But I've gotten bored, and time has been progressing far too slowly."  
"I quite agree," the sage said casually, leaning back in his wooden chair. "But I'm happy enough to progress at the same time as my pawns."  
"And that's where you and I are not alike." The words were said quietly, as though the speaker was afraid of disagreement.  
"True. Tell me," and here Kirin's voice became kindly, "where is your friend?"  
"The robot?" Ridge's eyes narrowed only slightly. "No concern of yours."  
"It might be, though, depending how fond you are of him."  
Ridge laughed softly. "You know I wouldn't give up the only companion that's stayed by my side."  
"He's the only one that can," Kirin amended amiably. "It's difficult to find someone who can live eternally."  
"Yes…" Ridge sighed, his next words so softly spoken they were nearly lost in the gentle breeze. "If only you liked me."  
A short, quiet chuckle came from the horned sage sitting across from him. "I'm hardly immortal, my friend. I just have a way of procuring" - his hand waved idly in the air - "new bodies."  
"And do these bodies always come equipped with horns?" Ridge's snicker was barely concealed behind his upturned coat collar.  
Kirin glared, lifting one large hand to run it along the length of his blue ram's horns. "These are from what I started as," he replied flatly. "I had horns when I was born."  
"Oh, you're no fun," the demigod said beneath thinly veiled reproof. "You were mortal? Here I was hoping I'd found at least another half-god."  
The smile that returned to the sage's face could only be called cruel as the sky and air around them cracked with static.  
"I think," said Kirin slowly, "that you would call me a monster, in some tongues."  
Ridge sighed theatrically. "And in others, would we call you a sheep?"  
Lightning crackled down, nearly singeing the edge of the wooden floor beneath their feet. The sage coughed, and the storm clouds melted away as he regained his composure.  
Ridge smiled. They hadn't even started the game yet and Kirin's precious temper had already risen. This match should be fun.  
Silence fell over the two, no sound made between them except for the steady creak of Kirin's chair. They were sitting on Kirin's porch, seeing as the sage had been polite enough not to chase Ridge away the instant he'd turned up. A few bottles of sake sat to the side, in case Kirin felt Ridge needed some soothing. He'd sent Su away, not wanting her involved in any destructive happenings that occurred between them.  
"Shall we play?" The comment distracted Ridge from his thoughts, but he'd been ready for it.  
"Of course." The demigod smoothly pulled a marble and basalt chessboard from the depths of his black cloak - or, rather, from a well-concealed golden bag crudely stitched into the side. It was followed by an array of chess figures, familiar faces carved into stone with painstaking care.  
He began to arrange the pieces by hand, but a flick of Kirin's wrist sent the tiny pieces of cut stone to their squares.  
"Interesting," the storm sage said quietly, leaning in to study the faces of his pieces.  
A row of identical marble rams served as his pawns, a variety of friendly faces hidden behind them. At the edge of the board, crowned in an odd hat that Kirin supposed was meant to resemble a rook, a beautiful marble Lomadia faced down William Strife, whose stern features were skillfully carved from onyx.  
Standing vigil beside the businessman was Parvis as a knight, his sword decorated with tiny slivers of ruby cleverly made to resemble blood. His opposite was Nilesy, face anxious yet confident behind delicate marble glasses.  
Slightly surprised to see his well-dwelling neighbor there, Kirin noted his bishop's long ponytail, also decorated with shards of red gemstone. A book sat in the slender hands, the unmoving gaze focused upon Verbal, who was the onyx-and-ruby bishop seated on Ridge's side of the board.  
Amethyst added color to the pale figures of Nano and Lalna, crowned king and queen among the array of their allies. Lalna faced down his twin king, but the black king wore a long robe and hood. In his open hands lay a book, contrasting the sword the white king held. Ridge's queen was Sjin, a smile hidden in the carved beard the architect still bore.  
"Cleverly done," Kirin acknowledged. "But I note that there's two of each piece."  
Ridge smiled. "A second chance, shall we say. If I were to take both your bishops - let's call it a 'game over' for Lying. But if I were to take one and you were to concede, it would be a 'bad game' for him instead."  
A poisonous smile nearly made Kirin ask what happened to the loser if the queen was taken, but he bit back the words before they escaped. He’d really prefer it if he didn’t know.  
"Shall I time lock us in, then?"  
Ridge smiled. "I was hoping you would offer. Please, do. That way our pawns can find their own reasons for ending up where they do."  
"You say reasons. I assume you mean 'excuses.'"  
“I don’t think you want me to answer that.”  
“And are there _any_ strings you plan to tell me about?”  
“I will answer that.” He leaned forward. “I meant to tell you - the pieces can switch sides.”  
“Any thing else you forgot to mention?”  
Ridge laughed, all the answer that Kirin needed. The demigod settled back in his chair, surveying the black and white chessboard with the smooth confidence of a man ready to win.  
"Your move."  
And the ram stepped forward, to fight the wolf.


End file.
